Poker Tournament Results

LA Poker Classic - WPT Season 2

Tournament Report

AN DIEGO SCIENTIST BEATS HUGE HOLD'EM FIELD OF 770 Chris "Doc" Benedict, a Ph.D. scientist in the field of molecular immunology, outlasted an enormous field of 770 players in the $25,000 added, $300 limit hold'em event, the 14th in LAPC XIII. First place was worth an official $87,050. Benedict, who specialize in $20-$40 hold'em side games, rarely plays tournaments. His only prior win was in a small tournament in Oceanside. He traded the lead several times in a lengthy match-up with his final opponent, Palm Springs poker dealer Travis Jonas. Jonas, who won a bracelet in an employees event at the World Series in 2003, also had four or five cash-outs at Tunica last year. If anyone needed proof that poker is exploding, all they had to do was stop by the tournament room of Commerce Casino where a door-busting mob of players circled three-fourths of the way around the cavernous Crowne Plaza ballroom waiting to sign up. They needed 11 chairs at each table, and it was an hour past starting time before every player was signed and seated. And this happened on a Wednesday afternoon! "A lot of people must have phoned in sick today," remarked tournament director Cheri Dokken, who was happily overwhelmed by the turnout as she brought in more chairs and managed to get everyone seated.. The final table started with $4,000-$8,000 limits, with 25:06 remaining. Mike Bunis, a musician from Key West, Florida who makes monthly trips to play tournaments, arrived with only $10,500 and went out on the fourth hand. He re-raised all in with K-J. Jonas called with A-J and the ace did the trick. Bunis has several final tables and a win in the Orleans Open. There were a half-dozen all-ins before the next player went out. With limits now at $6,000-$12,000, L.A. pro Keith Sahara started with pocket queens on hand 33. He was looking good until a king turned and Jonas bet out. "Where'd that card come from?" Sahara asked. After long thought, he said, "Maybe I'll get lucky," and called. He didn't. Jonas had K-10 and the kings prevailed as Sahara went dry and ended up in ninth place. When limits rose to $10,000-$20,000, Benedict, who had started with a second chip lead of $114,500 behind David Enoch, had moved up to 240k, followed by Jonas with about 165k. Seven hands later, Derek Bukowski, who won an Omaha hi-lo event at the Bicycle Casino's Mini Series of Poker, was in for one $1,000 chip in the small blind. Richard Nauffal, a New York poker player with a best all-around at Commerce, then put in his last two chips from the button. He had A-4, Bukowski had A-Q and Jonas had them both covered with Q-Q. The board of 2-2-7-7-6 changed nothing, and two more players were out. J.J. Volpe, who has some 20 major tournament wins to his credit, was next to bust out. He put in his last chips with pocket 5s against Benedict's As-2s. A deuce flopped, and then an ace came on the river as J.J. ended up in sixth place. Poker player David Adraby later raised with K-10 and Jonas put him in with A-8. Once again an ace-high was all that was needed as the board came Q-J-2-2-3 and Adraby departed in fifth place. A chip count showed that Benedict still led the pack with 255k, followed by Jonas, 215k; Steinberg, 100k; and Enoch, 45k. There was the usual deal at this stage, and play continued. Enoch soon left the table. He had A-K and. Benedict, holding A-10, put him all in on a flop of 10-4-6. A jack and a six then did him no good as he finished in fourth place. As play continued, Travis was close to closing the gap between him and Benedict. He then went up against Alan Steinberg, a Gardena poker player, who held pocket 10s. "Send it," an all-in Steinberg said when the board came K-6-5-2-3. The only thing that got sent was Steinberg, who was sent home because Jonas, with K-J, had made top pair and now took a slight lead.A couple of hands later, it went back to Benedict again.. With limits at $15,000-$30,000, the lead continued to seesaw. Travis took over again when his 2-4 turned into two pair Then Benedict dropped him way down when he bet into a board of 10-6-8-3. Jonas folded, and was now left with about $200,000 Benedict kept cutting into his stacks until the final hand, which was number 106. He had the button with 5-4. A flop of 6-3-2 gave Benedict a straight. Travis bet his pocket 9s and Benedict re-raised to put him all in. The cards were turned up. A 9 came on the turn to give Travis a set and some hope. His hopes evaporated when a queen came on the river. Benedict scooped in the last of the chips and claimed victory over a field as large as he is likely to encounter for a long time to come. --Max Shapiro